Born: 2 February 1919, Switzerland
Died: 10 December 2012
Country most active: International
Also known as: Lisa Debeljevic
The following is republished from the Library of Congress. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Swiss lyric soprano, Lisa Della Casa made her first appearance as Madame Butterfly in 1941 and sang a variety of roles in Zurich during the years that followed. After World War II, she left Switzerland to sing in Vienna and Salzburg, and later in London. Della Casa came to New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 1953 and remained there for fifteen seasons. Noted for her great beauty and charm, she was a specialist in Mozart and Strauss, occasionally taking on Wagnerian roles.